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The Grateful Dead

Grateful Dead was an American rock band that was formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band was known for their eclectic style of music, which combined elements of rock, folk, blues, and country.

The original lineup of the band consisted of Jerry Garcia on lead guitar and vocals, Bob Weir on rhythm guitar and vocals, Phil Lesh on bass guitar and vocals, Bill Kreutzmann on drums, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan on keyboards and vocals, and Tom Constanten on keyboards.

The Grateful Dead became known for their live performances, which often featured extended improvisational jams and a unique setlist for each show. The band's loyal fanbase, known as "Deadheads," would often follow them from show to show and trade tapes of their performances.

The Grateful Dead released over 30 studio albums and countless live recordings throughout their career, including classics like "American Beauty," "Workingman's Dead," and "Blues for Allah." The band's iconic imagery, including the "Steal Your Face" skull logo and dancing bears, has become synonymous with their music.

Jerry Garcia, the band's lead guitarist and frontman, passed away in 1995, leading to the end of the Grateful Dead as a touring band. However, the surviving members have continued to perform together as various incarnations of the Grateful Dead, including Dead & Company, which features original members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann.

From San Francisco, California, USA.  For Deborah Thunhorst and Nancy C... -GSH

Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions (1964 - 1965)
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar/banjo/vocals - b. Jerome John Garcia, August 1, 1942, San Francisco, California, USA; d. August 9, 1995, Forest Knolls, California, USA - formerly with bluegrass bands The Black Mountain Boys, The Wildwood Boys, and The Hart Valley Drifters.
  • Bob Weir - guitar/vocals - b. Robert Hall Weir, October 16, 1947, San Francisco, California, USA.
  • Ron "Pigpen" McKernan - keyboards/harmonica/vocals - b. September 8, 1945, San Bruno, California, USA; d. March 8, 1973, San Francisco, California, USA - formerly with The Zodiacs.
  • Bob Matthews -
  • John "Marmaduke" Dawson - guitar/vocals - b. 1945, San Francisco, California, USA.
John "Marmaduke" Dawson later joins The New Riders of the Purple Sage.
The Warlocks (1965 - 1966)
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar/vocals
  • Bob Weir - guitar/vocals
  • Ron "Pigpen" McKernan - keyboards/harmonica/vocals
  • Phil Lesh - bass/vocals - b. Philip Chapman Lesh, March 15, 1940, Berkeley, California, USA.
  • Bill Kreutzmann (aka, Bill Sommers) - drums - b. April 7, 1946, Palo Alto, California, USA - formerly with The Zodiacs.
Name changed to The Grateful Dead.
The Grateful Dead I (1966 - 1967)
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar/vocals
  • Bob Weir - guitar/vocals
  • Ron "Pigpen" McKernan - keyboards/harmonica/vocals
  • Phil Lesh - bass/vocals
  • Bill Kreutzmann (aka, Bill Sommers) - drums
Album:
  1. "The Grateful Dead" (1967)
  2. "Rare Cuts and Oddities 1966" (live) (2005)
The Grateful Dead II (1967)
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar/vocals
  • Bob Weir - guitar/vocals
  • Ron "Pigpen" McKernan - keyboards/harmonica/vocals
  • Phil Lesh - bass/vocals
  • Bill Kreutzmann (aka, Bill Sommers) - drums
  • Mickey Hart - drums/percussion - b. ca 1950, Long Island, New York, USA.
Album:
  1. "Anthem of the Sun" (1968)
The Grateful Dead III (1967 - 1970)
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar/vocals
  • Bob Weir - guitar/vocals
  • Ron "Pigpen" McKernan - keyboards/harmonica/vocals
  • Phil Lesh - bass/vocals
  • Bill Kreutzmann (aka, Bill Sommers) - drums
  • Mickey Hart - drums/percussion
  • Tom Constanten - keyboards
Albums:
  1. "Aoxomoxoa" (1969)
  2. "Live Dead" (live) (1970)
  3. "Two From The Vault" (2-CDs) (live) (1992)
  4. "Fillmore East 2/11/69" (2-CDs) (live) (1997)
Jerry Garcia forms The New Riders of the Purple Sage in addition to continuing with The Grateful Dead.
The Grateful Dead IV (1970)
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar/vocals
  • Bob Weir - guitar/vocals
  • Ron "Pigpen" McKernan - keyboards/harmonica/vocals
  • Phil Lesh - bass/vocals
  • Bill Kreutzmann (aka, Bill Sommers) - drums
  • Mickey Hart - drums/percussion
Albums:
  1. "Workingman's Dead" (1970) - Single: "Uncle John's Band"
  2. "American Beauty" (1970) - Single: "Truckin'"
  3. "Dick's Picks - Volume 4: Fillmore East, New York, NY, 2/13-14/70" (live) (1996)
The Grateful Dead V (1970 - 1971)
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar/vocals
  • Bob Weir - guitar/vocals
  • Ron "Pigpen" McKernan - keyboards/harmonica/vocals
  • Phil Lesh - bass/vocals
  • Bill Kreutzmann (aka, Bill Sommers) - drums
Album:
  1. "Grateful Dead" (live) (1971)
The Grateful Dead VI (1971 - 1973)
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar/vocals
  • Bob Weir - guitar/vocals
  • Ron "Pigpen" McKernan - keyboards/harmonica/vocals
  • Phil Lesh - bass/vocals
  • Bill Kreutzmann (aka, Bill Sommers) - drums
  • Keith Godchaux - keyboards - b. July 14, 1948, San Francisco, California, USA; d. July 23, 1980, Marin County, California, USA - formerly with Dave Mason.
  • Donna Godchaux - vocals - b. August 22, 1947, San Francisco, California, USA.
Album:
  1. "Europe '72" (2-CDs) (live) (1972)
  2. "Hundred Year Hall" (2-CDs) (live) (1995) - recorded April 1972.
  3. "Steppin' Out With The Grateful Dead: England '72" (live) (2002)
Jerry Garcia forms bluegrass band Old and In the Way in addition to continuing with The Grateful Dead.
The Grateful Dead VII (1973 - 1974)
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar/vocals
  • Bob Weir - guitar/vocals
  • Phil Lesh - bass/vocals
  • Bill Kreutzmann (aka, Bill Sommers) - drums
  • Keith Godchaux - keyboards
  • Donna Godchaux - vocals
Albums:
  1. "Wake of the Flood" (1973)
  2. "Grateful Dead From The Mars Hotel" (1974)
  3. "Dick's Picks - Volume 19: Oklahoma City, OK, 10/19/73" (3-CDs) (live) (2000)
The Grateful Dead VIII (1974 - 1979) Albums:
  1. "Blues for Allah" (1975)
  2. "Steal Your Face" (2-CDs) (live) (1976)
  3. "Terrapin Station" (1977)
  4. "Shakedown Street" (1978)
  5. "One From the Vault" (2-CDs) (live) (1991) - recorded August 13, 1975.
  6. "The Closing of Winterland" (4-CD box set) (live) (2003) - recorded December 31, 1978.
The Grateful Dead IX (1979 - 1990)
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar/vocals
  • Bob Weir - guitar/vocals
  • Phil Lesh - bass/vocals
  • Bill Kreutzmann (aka, Bill Sommers) - drums
  • Mickey Hart - percussion
  • Brent Mydland - keyboards - b. 1953, Munich, Germany; d. July 26, 1990, Lafayette, California, USA.
Albums:
  1. "Go To Heaven" (1980) - Single: "Alabama Getaway"
  2. "Reckoning" (live - acoustic) (1981)
  3. "Dead Set" (live) (1981)
  4. "In the Dark" (1987) - Single: "Touch of Grey"
  5. "Built to Last" (1989)
  6. "Dylan & The Dead" (live) (1989) - recorded in 1987 with Bob Dylan.
  7. "Without a Net" (2-CDs) (live) (1990)
  8. "Truckin' Up To Buffalo: July 4, 1989" (2-CDs) (live) (2005)
The Grateful Dead X (1990 - 1992)
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar/vocals
  • Bob Weir - guitar/vocals
  • Phil Lesh - bass/vocals
  • Bill Kreutzmann (aka, Bill Sommers) - drums
  • Mickey Hart - percussion
  • Bruce Hornsby - keyboards
  • Vince Welnick - keyboards - b. February 22, 1952, Phoenix, Arizona, USA - formerly with The Tubes.
Album:
  1. "Infrared Roses" (1991)
Bruce Hornsby goes solo.
The Grateful Dead XI (1992 - 1995)
  • Jerry Garcia - guitar/vocals
  • Bob Weir - guitar/vocals
  • Phil Lesh - bass/vocals
  • Bill Kreutzmann (aka, Bill Sommers) - drums
  • Mickey Hart - percussion
  • Vince Welnick - keyboards - b. February 22, 1952, Phoenix, Arizona, USA - formerly with The Tubes.
Albums:
  1. "Dozin' at the Knick" (3-CDs) (live) (1996)
  2. "Grayfolded" (2-CDs) (1999)
Group disbands.  Bob Weir continues with Ratdog.  Phil Lesh forms Phil Lesh and Friends.  Mickey Hart forms Bembe Orisha.  Bill Kreutzmann forms The Trichromes.
Compilations:
  1. "History of The Grateful Dead, vol. 1 (Bear's Choice)" (1973)
  2. "Skeletons from the Closet: The Best of The Grateful Dead" (1974)
  3. "What A Long Strange Trip It's Been: The Best of The Grateful Dead" (2-CDs) (live) (1977)
  4. "Dick's Picks - Volume One" (live) (1993)
  5. "Dick's Picks - Volume 2" (live) (1995)
  6. "Dick's Picks - Volume 3" (live) (1995)
  7. "The Arista Years" (2-CDs) (1996)
  8. "Fallout From The Phil Zone" (2-CDs) (1997)
  9. "Dick's Picks - Volume 5" (live) (1997)
  10. "Dick's Picks - Volume 6" (live) (1997)
  11. "Dick's Picks - Volume 7" (live) (1997)
  12. "Dick's Picks - Volume 8" (live) (1997)
  13. "Dick's Picks - Volume 9" (live) (1997)
  14. "Dick's Picks - Volume 11" (live) (1998)
  15. "Dick's Picks - Volume 13" (live) (1999)
  16. "Dick's Picks - Volume 14" (live) (1999)
  17. "Dick's Picks - Volume 15" (live) (1999)
  18. "So Many Roads (1965-1995)" (5-CD box set) (1999)
  19. "Dick's Picks - Volume 12" (live) (2000)
  20. "Dick's Picks - Volume 16" (live) (2000)
  21. "Dick's Picks - Volume 17" (live) (2000)
  22. "Dick's Picks - Volume 18" (live) (2000)
  23. "Dick's Picks - Volume 20" (live) (2000)
  24. "Dick's Picks - Volume 21" (live) (2001)
  25. "Dick's Picks - Volume 22" (live) (2001)
  26. "Dick's Picks - Volume 23" (live) (2001)
  27. "Dick's Picks - Volume 24" (live) (2002)
  28. "Dick's Picks - Volume 25" (live) (2002)
  29. "Dick's Picks - Volume 26" (live) (2002)
  30. "Dick's Picks - Volume 27" (live) (2002)
  31. "Dick's Picks - Volume 28" (live) (2003)
  32. "Dick's Picks - Volume 29" (live) (2003)
  33. "Dick's Picks - Volume 30" (live) (2003) - recorded March 25 and 28, 1972.
  34. "Dick's Picks - Volume 31" (live) (2004)
  35. "Dick's Picks - Volume 32" (live) (2004)
  36. "Dick's Picks - Volume 33" (live) (2004)
  37. "Dick's Picks - Volume 34" (live) (2005)
  38. "Dick's Picks - Volume 35" (live) (2005)
DVDs and Videos:
  1. "The Grateful Dead Movie" (1977) - VHS
  2. "So Far" (1987) - VHS
  3. "Backstage Pass" (1992) - VHS
  4. "Ticket to New Year's" (1996) (recorded December 31, 1987) - DVD
  5. "Ticket to New Year's" (1996) - VHS
  6. "The Concerts" (3-VHS tapes) (1996) - VHS
  7. "Downhill From Here" (1997) - DVD
  8. "Downhill From Here" (1997) - VHS
  9. "Anthem to Beauty" (1997) - DVD
  10. "Anthem to Beauty" (1997) - VHS
  11. "The Making of 'A Touch of Grey'" - VHS
  12. "The Grateful Dead Collection" (4-VHS tapes) - VHS
  13. "Dead Ahead" - VHS
Bob Weir solo:
  1. "Ace" (1972)
  2. "Kingfish" (1976)
  3. "Kingfish Live n' Kickin'" (1977)
  4. "Heaven Help the Fool" (1978)
  5. "Bobby and the Midnites" (1981)
  6. "Where the Beat Meets the Street" (1984)
  7. "Live" (1998) (with Rob Wasserman)
Phil Lesh solo:
  1. "Seastones" (1975)
  2. "Love Will See You Through" (2-CDs) (1999)
Mickey Hart solo:
  1. "Rolling Thunder" (1972)
  2. "Diga Rhythm Band" (1976)
  3. "Apocalypse Now Sessions: The Rhythm Devils Play River Music" (1987)
  4. "Music to Be Born By" (1989)
  5. "At the Edge" (1990)
  6. "Planet Drum" (1991)
  7. "Mickey Hart's Mystery Box" (1996)
  8. "Supralingua" (2-CDs) (1998)
  9. "Spirit Into Sound" (2000)
Links:
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Last Revised:  October 13, 2005
© 2000, 2005 by Gary S. Hartman.  All rights reserved.
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